Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliot is widely considered to be the top ball-carrier in this year's draft class and a worthy pick in the first half of the first-round. As such, it's no surprise that a handful of teams have been rumored to be interested in him. The Dallas Cowboys (No. 4), Cleveland Browns (No. 8), New York Giants (No. 10), Chicago bears (No. 11), Miami Dolphins (No. 13) and Oakland Raiders (No. 14) have all been linked to Elliott in one way or the other during the pre-draft process.
However, the massive hype surrounding the young rusher hasn't take Bears general manager Ryan Pace by surprise, nor have Elliott's recent comments listing Chicago as a potential landing spot in tonight's NFL Draft.
"It didn't surprise me because of [Chicago Bears running backs coach] Stan Drayton," Pace said. "Stan recruited him out of high school, so he's known him for a long time, has a relationship with the family and I know how those two feel about each other, so it didn't really surprise me at all."
Elliott told the Dan Patrick Radio Show that he felt as if the Bears were the most interested team he had met with throughout the pre-draft process.
Bears head coach John Fox prefers a running back-by-committee approach in his backfield. With Jeremy Langford set to replace Matt Forte this season, the Bears still went hard after restricted free agent C.J. Anderson, who ultimately opted to remain with the Denver Broncos. Obviously Chicago is open to adding talent in the backfield despite Langford's impressive rookie season.
The question is, does Pace covet a back so much that he'd take one with the 11th overall pick?
"It's a good question," Pace said. "I think if you're taking a running back that high, he better have special traits. You better feel that he's going to be a special player. And if he does, then it's worth making the pick."
Elliott totaled more than 2,000 all-purpose yards for the second straight season and scored 23 rushing touchdowns. In 35 career games at OSU, Elliott scored 44 touchdowns. If the Bears really are as interested as rumored, they may have to move into the top 10 to get him.
Follow Brandon Katz at @Great_Katzby
